The Spook Who Sat By the Door

This Black History Month film event is hosted by the Peregrine Forum. The Spook Who Sat By the Door is a satire about the CIA recruiting its first Black agent, who later leads a guerrilla uprising in Chicago. Based on the 1969 novel by Sam Greenlee, it had a very limited release in 1973 before J. Edgar Hoover reportedly pressured its studio to make it disappear. Nonetheless one print was saved. And, trivia buffs, it was directed by Ivan Dixon. Yeah, that Ivan Dixon! (Sergeant James Kinchloe in 145 episodes of Hogan's Heroes.)